Frequency High Low Maybe in Between

[Ridge Runner]

For years I didn't think about frequency and I still don't spend a lot of time thinking about it now. I know over time the powers that be have found one frequency over another will detect small gold. Oh I'm all for their endeavor. The thing is I've been a coin hunter lots longer than a nugget hunter. That single frequency has found me untold rings and coin back to the early 18 hundreds.

  Now here soon White's MX Sport Waterproof single frequency detector will hit the market. My thinking is why not it's been good to me all the years I've been swinging a single frequency detector. I know now we have detectors that can run in more than one frequency but do I really need it.

 I'd like to hear your thinking on this subject.

  Chuck

  

[fredmason]

Chuck; if you are happy with one frequency, why change or mess with success?

 

fred

[Ridge Runner]

Fred

 That's my thinking too. Not that I'm going to change but wanted to hear others opinion. One thing I found out long ago and it's no stupid question.

 Chuck

[Steve Herschbach]

Like everything it just depends. A single frequency can ground balance to one thing at a time, usually the ground itself. In salt water beach environments multifrequency detectors offer the ability to balance to the ground (magnetite) and also to the salt signal simultaneously. Therefore in nearly all salt water beach settings multifrequency detectors have a true advantage.

One cannot ignore the fact that for hunting silver coins in a turf (grass yard) type environment that multifrequency detectors have a huge following due to their ability to produce. Just like nugget hunters gravitate to certain machines (usually PI and now ZVT) for top end performance, the same can be said of the turf hunters. We are not talking sheer depth here but reliable discrimination as deep as it can be had on high conductor targets.

That edge is generally not retained on mid to low frequency targets and that is where single frequency detectors tend to shine these days. And when talking single frequency I am including machines like the DEUS which allow you to choose a frequency, but can only run at one at any given time. As a rule single frequency machines have faster responses and deal with dense trash easier than multifrequency detectors.

The above are generalities only and people will rightly say their single frequency machine finds silver just great, thank you very much. And people with multifrequency machines do very well on low and mid conductors. In my opinion really good detectorists can do very well with any of the $700 plus top end machines and it boils down more to what features you like in the machine, how it feels on your arm, how it sounds to your ear, what kind of menu arrangements/structures you prefer, coil selection, etc. Everything else is just splitting hairs.